


A Prince's Guide to Love

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Desert Prince AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 11:56:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2024214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	1. Chapter 1

**_ Chapter One _ **

“Mother. Father. What’s that?”

Little prince Gavin pointed out towards a small collections of shadows at the base of a small rocky hill. His parents had noticed it earlier and thought they were just rocks as well but as they passed by a little closer, there was something off about them.

“Probably just some foxes napping, darling, focus on where you’re riding,” his mother, Griffon said, tugging gently on her adoptive son’s camel’s reins, steering the child back on course but the boy, barely older than seven, couldn’t stop paying attention to something interesting on this otherwise boring trip from one of his desert kingdom’s outlying villages. The little boy squinted, shading his eyes from the blaring sun so he could see a little better.

“It’s people!” Gavin called out, instantly turning his camel to race over to that collection of shadows which, upon further inspection by King Geoffrey, was actually a camp. A demolished camp. With bodies still lying around a long-dead fire.

“ _Gavin!_ ” Geoff called, going after his adoptive son, leaving his wife with his daughter but calling over a few of their guards to make sure nothing would happen to them. Gavin stumbled as he climbed off of his camel, Grisham, running over to the remains of the camp and stopping right beside the fire, seeing the results of not preparing oneself for the commonly unexpected freezing nights of the desert. They were obviously not natives to the sands, just from looking at their clothes and supplies, Gavin could tell they were from somewhere far away. Just as the king caught up to the curious child, Gavin spotted something shiny from inside the only barely-intact tent in the camp and took off again, slowing to a shuffle as he peered into the tent.

Inside was a pile of blankets and some supplies that had obviously not survived what had likely been a week or so without any defence against the coyotes or foxes that stalked the desert looking for just these opportunities. But what drew the little blonde boy’s attention was the thing shifting underneath the blankets, a peek beneath them revealing a mop of auburn hair and pale skin.

“Gavin, don’t you ever run off like that again,” Geoff barked, the young prince shrinking back against the reprimand but pointed at the figure underneath the blankets anyway.

“There’s a boy under here. He’s still alive,” Gavin said, pulling the blankets back a little to reveal the young man’s face. Geoff’s eyes widened and he poked his head out of the tent, ordering his guards to fetch water and a little bit of juice for the child.

“Geoffrey, what’s going on?” Griffon called over from the rest of their convoy.

“Gavin found a child. He’s still alive,” Geoff replied, retrieving the water from the closest guard and returning to the tent, kneeling down next to the boy. “Place his head on your lap, make sure he won’t choke on this,” Geoff ordered and Gavin obeyed, placing the head of the curly auburn haired boy in his lap, marvelling at the almost white skin on this child. He looked unhealthy, his skin pale everywhere except for his cheeks, flaring bright red with a fever that made Gavin’s thighs sweat a little just from the brief contact.

“Is he going to be okay, father?” Gavin asked, looking up at his parent and Geoff just replied with silence, pressing the lip of the water sack against the boy’s lips and gently pouring little by little in. The boy stirred, leaning towards the bottle and drinking down greedily, just to start coughing and vomiting it back up past dry and cracked lips.

“Sh, it’s alright child, not too much,” Geoff soothed, repeating the process with far better results. The young boy’s eyes opened blearily, looking around at the remnants of the tent, the water sack, Geoff, then his eyes finally rolled up, focusing on Gavin’s face looming above his.

“What’s your name?” Gavin asked quietly, the tanned boy’s green-hazel wide with wonder.

“M-Michael,” the boy said, his voice quiet and hoarse as the pale child’s eyes did the same, a startlingly warm pair of brown eyes gazing up at Gavin with complete clarity before fluttering closed again, becoming limp in Gavin’s lap. The king placed a hand on the boy’s chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart and sighed in relief.

“He’s alright. He just needs some proper rest. Men, please find a place for him in the cart-“ Geoff said but was cut off by his son.

“Can he ride with me, father? I promise I won’t let him fall a-and I’ll pay attention to where I’m going and I won’t run off on my own for the rest of the trip. Please, father,” Gavin begged, one hand tangled in the boy’s hair, soothingly rubbing his scalp and the other placed over his heart, feeling his heartbeat for himself.

“You won’t be able to steer and keep a hold of him. And it’s too hot on the back of a camel for him. He’s already ill, we need to put him in the cart and make sure the sun won’t go near his skin. You can ride right behind him and we’ll make sure you can see him though, alright, son?” Geoff suggested and Gavin nodded a little, pouting as he looked down at the young boy.

“Okay,” he mumbled, letting Geoff pick Michael up and bring him with them over to their convoy, the guards having already shifted their supplies to make way for the salvageable items from the camp and anything that might have sentimental value as well as a child with a cloth creating a little cave-like environment for him to rest in.

“Gavin, on second thought, instead of riding behind him, would you like to ride with him in the cart? He’ll need water regularly on the trip and it would be easier for you to be in there than one of the grown ups,” Geoff suggested and Gavin instantly brightened, sliding off of Grisham and running over to the cart, climbing in so he was right beside the sleeping boy.

“Try and find out what his name is too. And where he’s from,” Geoff said, handing Gavin some more water before returning to the front of the convoy so he could explain what was going on to Griffon and their daughter.

“I’ll take care of you. Then we can go back to my kingdom and I can show you my room and we can play by the river and you’ll be my best friend. I don’t have any friends because everyone’s afraid of hurting me and getting in trouble from father. But if he brings you into the palace, it will mean you’ll be like me and we can play together,” Gavin rambled, gently raising Michael’s head enough to pour a little water into his mouth, the boy swallowing then turning onto his side and curling up into Gavin’s touch, remaining there for the rest of the trip.


	2. Chapter 2

**_ Chapter Two _ **

_10 years later_

“Gavin!” Michael fumed, stalking through the halls of the palace, trying to locate the other ward of the king. He’d gone into his room to find a camel sitting in there with a festive scarf around its neck, having been left in there without supervision, long enough to make his room smell like the stables.

“Gavin, get out here!” Michael shouted, sticking his head into just about every room he passed. Advisors, staff, extended members of the royal family but no sandy-haired, tanned asshole that had deemed it necessary to sneak a camel into his room, if the scarf said anything about it, as a gift.

“My little Michael. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” An accented voice called from above the pale skinned man. Michael looked up to see the very man he was looking for, spread out like a lounging cat on one of the rafters in the ceiling, an arm hanging lazily over the edge as he soaked up the sunlight that poured in through the grates in the roof.

“What is that camel doing in my room? And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. Ray told me he helped you bring it in,” Michael shouted, looking absolutely insane to anyone that happened to be walking that way, seeing the ward of the King shouting at some seemingly imaginary figure.

“It’s a gift,” Gavin said simply, pulling himself up and sauntering along before wrapping a leg around a thick curtain and sliding down, flaring it out so it surrounded Michael as the young man landed on the ground right beside him, both of them hidden from view by the thick red material.

“What for? My birthday isn’t for ages,” Michael asked, scowling at Gavin. The young man just grinned and wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders as he led him down the hall, brushing the curtain away.

“Its our anniversary,” he said simply.

“What?”

“Our anniversary, Gavin repeated. “Ten years ago, today, my family and I were travelling through the desert and we find a little boy that I vowed would be my best friend for the rest of my life. And my best friend for the rest of my life was upset that his first camel was taken by the flood so I made sure to get you the best one I could find,” Gavin explained, returning them both to Michael’s room, funnily enough, clean and stable-stench free as well as missing the camel.

“How-“

“Ray is very good at what he does,” Gavin said, removing his arm from Michael’s shoulders and sashaying over to the bed, flopping onto it in an unmistakeably sensual pose, his green pants resting against his body in a very flattering way and the fact that he almost never wore a shirt always bothered Michael.

“Did it have to go in my room? It couldn’t have gone in the stables?” the auburn haired man asked, pushing Gavin over a little so he could sit, knees against his chest, at the head of the bed.

“It wouldn’t have been as nice a surprise. And I didn’t want to force you out into the sun. Not with your lovely skin and all,” Gavin said with a little leer that Michael thought nothing of. Gavin flirting was like the sun rising in the East. It wasn’t an ‘if’ or a ‘maybe’. It was an eventuality. Sure, he flirted more with Michael, but that was because they were together more often than anyone else and he knew it got on Michael’s nerves.

“My skin doesn’t burn _that_ easily. And who cares if I got a tan or something,” Michael grumbled as he stood and retrieved a set of knives from a table in the corner, practicing his throwing.

“You look like a newly smacked newborn’s behind all over. And I would care. I like your skin,” Gavin purred and Michael just rolled his eyes.

“You taking too much time between visits to the brothel makes you unbearable,” the pale man replied, a well-knife hitting the centre of his target perfectly. There was silence for a moment and he turned around, seeing a flaring piece of green material exit the door as Gavin left, Michael letting his hands drop and his look of irritation turn to one of confusion.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gavin lay on the roof of his room, a hand over his eyes and a frown on his face.

_You taking too much time between visits to the brothel makes you unbearable._

Unbeknownst to Michael, Gavin didn’t visit the brothel anymore. They missed him, more his coin than anything else, but he couldn’t bear to return there anymore. Every time he was with one of their many companions, all could think was how they didn’t have perfect, porcelain skin or how their eyes weren’t that right warm shade of brown.

They just weren’t right. So he stopped going.

“Gavin?”

The prince looked towards the ladder, seeing a mop of curly, dark brown hair pop out of the entrance to his ‘secret’ area, followed by a pair of dark glasses.

“Yes Ray? What is it?” Gavin asked, feigning a yawn to make his brooding seem like a perfectly normal nap.

“Your father would like a word. Michael as well but I sent him on a bit of a goose chase because I thought you’d prefer a moment to yourself, considering your mood,” Ray commented but before Gavin could reply, the man disappeared and a peek down into his room showed no trace of the royal adviser.

“Alright then,” Gavin mumbled to himself as he climbed down the ladder, just enough to get to the rafters that went throughout the palace. If he wanted to avoid Michael, just for a little longer anyway, it was best to avoid walking on the floor entirely. He liked the rafters anyway. No chance of bumping into anyone and it always gave him great joy to just fall out of the sky in front of the king’s ward and scare the living daylights out of him.

And, of course, thinking about the pale-skinned Adonis took all the fun out of running on the rafters. Gavin stepped back onto the ladder and slid down until he was on the ground. Ray said he sent Michael on a ‘goose-chase’ so that likely meant the auburn haired man was on the other side of the palace, possibly the kingdom if Ray felt that Gavin needed that much space.

The prince made his way to the throne room, just to be redirected by one of the guards who told him that Geoff was helping Griffon with some event they were planning, likely the Princess’ coronation.

“Gavin, come on in,” Geoff called as the young man poked his head into the door. The sandy-haired man shut the door behind him and sauntered in, trying to keep that signature spring in his step but his father could tell when something was wrong.

“I heard you and Michael got into a fight,” the king said quietly, leaving Griffon and Ray (Gavin swore, the man seemed to be everywhere at once) to the arrangements.

“It wasn’t a fight,” Gavin mumbled, his shoulders slumping as they wandered into the palace’s garden where the kingdom’s people were free to come and enjoy the beautiful, foreign plants and the artistically arranged stones in the pond.

“It was enough to make you storm off mid-conversation, apparently. And enough to have you sulking on the roof for hours,” Geoff countered, sitting Gavin down on a stone bench far enough away for them to not be overheard. “I know how you feel about Michael-“ the king started just for Gavin to cut him off.

“How I feel? He’s my best friend. That’s all,” Gavin said, almost bitterly and Geoff just quirked an eyebrow.

“If you see him as _just_ your friend, then I’m a camel,” he retorted. “Gavin, do you know why I named you my son and Michael as my ward?” Geoff asked, looking over at a young couple ambling through the garden, holding hands.

“Why?” Gavin asked simply, waiting for some strange, royal reason, like kings could only adopt once or something.

“Because as soon as I saw you two look at each other in that tent, ten years ago, I knew one day, I’d be giving you away to him at your wedding and I’d prefer you two not be ‘brothers’ when that happened just because of a formality,” Geoff said with a fond smile and Gavin flushed red, his eyes widening as he looked around for someone that could have possibly heard.

“W-What? I don’t-“

“My father told me one day, I’d know when my children found their soul-mates by the look in their eyes, a look I had when I met Griffon for the first time and the same one I saw when you met Michael. So no, I’m not going to pretend not to notice when you spend a month relentlessly training a camel so its perfectly tailored to Michael’s riding style. Or when you were eleven and you removed a painting from the hall by yourself because he told you it gave him nightmares,” Geoff said, looking away from the garden and back at his son.

“I don’t turn a blind eye to the things that make my son happy,” Geoff continued. “I try to help them along. If that means I cry like a baby at your wedding, then so be it,” the king finished and Gavin just deflated.

“He…he still thinks I whore around like I used to. And that I’m just out to annoy him,” Gavin mumbled, resting his head in his hands and staring at the ground.

“Michael isn’t the kind of person to be won over with big gestures. Try some honest ones. He’s loud and angry a lot of the time, but when it comes down to it, he’s a romantic. Just appeal to that side of him,” Geoff suggested, giving Gavin a pat on the back before standing up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a wedding to plan,” he said with a wink as he left Gavin to come up with how he was going to win over the ward.


	3. Chapter 3

**_ Chapter Three _ **

Gavin’s first plan was…He had no idea.

He wasn’t used to wooing people. Everyone in the kingdom knew him as the Prince. Women lined up to bed him and so did a lot of men. Everyone knew of his sexual preferences relating to gender. Being that he didn’t actually have one. Their kingdom was quite open-minded, unlike some others.

But since everyone knew him as the flirtatious horn-dog he used to be, he needed to prove to Michael that his advances were genuine interest, not just habit.

“What does he like? He…he likes...” Gavin trailed off quietly before dissolving into frustrated cursing.

“Would you like some assistance?” Ray asked, appearing out of nowhere beside Gavin as the young man sat on the roof, a foot dangling into his room. The sandy-haired man jumped in surprise, nearly losing his balance where he sat.

“Are you human? Like, are you actually here or just a figment of my imagination, albeit a helpful one,” Gavin asked, reaching out to poke Ray in the chest. The dark haired man did nothing to stop the prince poking him in the chest, just moving back a little bit with the pressure before moving back into place.

“I am human. Just sneaky,” Ray said with a smile. “Would you like that help or not?” he asked and Gavin thought for a moment.

“What do you know?” Gavin asked warily, a hint of desperation because he’d been at this for days and still had nothing.

“He likes being out in the sun but since he burns quite easily, he can’t stay out too long. Can you think of a solution?” Ray asked with a cryptic smile as he slid out of view, down the ladder while a flummoxed Gavin sat on the roof and tried to brainstorm ways that didn’t (necessarily) include some massive device he’d attach to a bird that would fly around above Michael.

His own skin didn’t burn when he went out for extended periods of time. He just tanned. There was one time a year or so ago when he did burn a little but the palace physician just gave him a lotion that relieved the mild pain-…

“A lotion,” Gavin realised with a smile, rolling until he nearly fell through the hole in his ceiling and slid down the ladder enough to leap into the rafters, sprinting through the palace to find the palace physician.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You want a lotion to put on before going outside that keeps you from burning in the sun? You? Mister Golden Brown?” Ryan, the palace physician asked, quirking an eyebrow at the request as he collected jars from his stockroom.

“Not for me. Its for…Someone that burns a lot,” Gavin said, attempting to remain vague.

“So you want a lotion specifically designed for Michael?” Ryan asked and Gavin spluttered while the doctor just rolled his eyes. “Gavin, there’s no one in this kingdom that would need something like that _except_ for Michael. Everyone else is like you,” Ryan explained his assumption and Gavin sighed, realising it was stupid to attempt to hide it.

“You’re sort of like Michael. You came from a kingdom in the north. Snow and clouds right? Is there anything you use to keep from burning?” Gavin asked and Ryan nodded.

“I have one but it’s a mild one because I’m nowhere near as susceptible to burns as that young man is. Tell you what, come back in a day, and I’ll have a lotion for him that will let him out in the sun for hours without turning the slightest bit pink,” Ryan offered and Gavin grinned wide and bright, leaving with a skip in his step.

“Thank you so much. Just, please don’t tell Michael or anyone that you’re making it. It’s a gift for him,” Gavin said, placing a finger over his lips to mime silence and Ryan just nodded with a knowing smile, shooing the young man away.

Gavin found it difficult to keep from hovering around outside of Ryan’s office, constantly being told to leave and be patient. Eventually, Ryan just decided to get Ray to make Gavin help around the palace until the lotion was ready. So Gavin was made to help water the garden, train camels and the few horses they kept, assist the cook with the palace’s meals for later that day and a large number of other duties that only barely kept Gavin busy.

“Gavin?” Ryan called, the Prince raising his head from its position on the floor as he lay there, covered in muck and sweat from working so much. Ryan held up a bottle, filled with a creamy, slightly pink tinged substance and waved it a little. Gavin, despite the pain and exhaustion running through his entire body, stood up and rushed over, grabbing the bottle and speeding past the doctor, a ‘thank you’ echoing through the palace halls as the prince raced off to clean himself up before presenting his gift to Michael.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Gavin, what are you doing?”

Michael was confused and a little worried about his friend when Gavin waltzed into his room and ordered him to get on the bed and face away from him. Michael, knowing Gavin wouldn’t do anything overly horrible to him, complied but it didn’t stop his curiosity from peaking.

“I got you a present but I need you to do this and not move, okay?” Gavin asked. And not that Michael could see it, but Gavin was kneeling in the middle of Michael’s bed, a little of the lotion in his hand but he made no move to apply it, instead, his hands shook at little and he swallowed nervously at the thought of putting his hands on Michael’s skin in a way other than those ‘casual’ arms thrown over his shoulder or the barest touch.

No, he was going to have to have his hands roam over Michael’s naked, pale, gorgeous flesh and not be horrible inappropriate or Michael might notice. Or too hesitant about it or Michael would notice.

He had to play it cool.

“Gavin, if you’re going to do something, just do it,” Michael said, his shoulders relaxing a little bit. Gavin took a deep breath and brought his hand to Michael’s upper back, spreading the pink-tinged, slightly floral scented cream on Michael’s skin.

“Whoa, what did you just put on me?” Michael asked, flinching away a little but Gavin’s other hand came up to keep him seated.

“I had Ryan whip up something for you. It’s a cream, a little stronger than the one he uses, that keeps you from getting burnt while you’re out in the sun,” Gavin explained, finishing off his application of the cream. He corked the bottle and placed it on Michael’s bedside table, waiting for his friend’s reaction. When the auburn haired man did and said nothing, Gavin crawled up so he was kneeling right beside him, seeing a shocked look on Michael’s face, the man turning his doe eyes to Gavin.

“You got me this?” Michael asked.

“Well, yeah,” Gavin said with a shy smile and a blush. “I wanted to get you something for our anniversary and, well Ray helped me figure out what to get you and Ryan made it so its more something _they_ did than anything else-“ Gavin rambled until Michael just smiled and held up a hand to stop him from talking.

“Thank you Gavin. Now come on, I’ve been wanting to kick your ass in soccer for years,” Michael said, standing up and grabbing his barely used soccer ball from the other side of the room before opening the doors leading outside. He stopped just as he stepped into the sunlight, his skin glowing and his hair turning into an auburn halo.

“You coming?” he asked, and it took Gavin a moment to come back to himself and smile in return, running up to his best friend and boasting about how he was going to keep his title as best _football_ player in the kingdom, all the while falling deeper and deeper in love with his best friend, praying that Michael understood and returned his feelings.


	4. Chapter 4

**_ Chapter Four _ **

As it turned out, the lotion needed a little tweaking. It was strong enough to last for a few hours but, of course, Michael had been out there all day and didn’t think to reapply it, his skin pink and sensitive, leaving him in a miserable state in his room while Gavin rushed around, locating the ingredients for Ryan to make a soothing lotion for the burns.

“I’m sorry it took so long, Michael,” Gavin huffed as he leant against the doorway of Michael’s room, panting and sweaty. Michael just looked over at Gavin with the most pathetic, pained expression on his face, like a kicked puppy and it made Gavin instantly feel even worse for not following Michael around with his sunscreen (as Ryan decided to call it) and continue putting it on him when he sweated it off.

“Just kill me now,” Michael groaned, burying his face in his pillow, just to jolt back and whimper as the burns on his cheeks were irritated, then the movement jerked the burns on his back and made him moan in pain as he laid back down gently, his face turned away from the door. Gavin almost whined in sympathy, instead walking towards his friend and kneeling on the bed while making sure not to jostle him too much.

“I’ve got a balm from Ryan. It should help,” Gavin said quietly, pouring a little onto his hands and gently rubbing it onto the heated, burnt parts of Michael’s back, feeling the man flinch away instinctively at first, then lean into the cooling touch, letting out a content sigh. Gavin let himself get lost in being able to touch Michael freely like this without worrying about if he’s lingering on a part too much because with every second he spent soothing the pale man’s burns, Michael relaxed a little more.

Michael mumbled something that was muffled by his pillow, Gavin leaning in a little to try and hear better.

“Sorry?” Gavin said, then Michael turned his head so he faced his best friend, looking up at the prince.

“It was worth it. Getting burnt was worth getting to hang out with you in the sun,” Michael said sleepily, closing his already hooded eyes as he sighed and fell into a light doze while Gavin just blushed, his eyes lighting up with joy.

“Sleep well my little Michael,” Gavin said quietly since Michael was asleep, feeling brave enough to lean down and press a light kiss to Michael’s hair, smoothing it out again before he went to stand, freezing when he heard a quiet voice.

“Love you, Gavvy,” the auburn haired man mumbled, sounding quite asleep so Gavin was only frozen for a moment, his cheeks flushing bright red as he decided to leave the room before his heart exploded in his chest and fainted from the blood rushing to his head.

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“So? Am I planning a wedding or what?” Geoff asked as he and Gavin had a few drinks in Gavin’s room, the young man splayed out on the floor while Geoff took a seat by the window. Gavin let out a blissful sigh.

“He said it was worth getting burnt to hang out with me in the sun,” Gavin murmured, still grinning like a complete moron.

“Well that’s a big deal. He never gets burnt for anything,” Geoff replied but Gavin didn’t really hear him.

“And…And, I think he was asleep when he said this b-but…he said…’I love you, Gavvy’,” Gavin said, his face reddening again and his voice cracking a little. He heard a whistle from the other side of the room and looked over at his adoptive father, seeing him giving the young man a wolfish grin.

“Looks like you’ve wooed him. Not that it needed doing. You essentially had him since you were children. I’ve never seen two people fall for each other so quickly. It took one look into those eyes of yours and he was head over heels. And so were you,” Geoff said with a smile, taking a swig of his drink. Gavin stared at his father with a look of astonishment. It wasn’t often that Geoff spoke with such seriousness and here he was, doing it twice in the same week and on the same topic.

“Just try to have an honest conversation with him. Tell him how you feel and ask how he feels about you,” Geoff finished, finishing off his drink and standing. “I’m off to do some planning with Griffon. Just own up to how you want to be all cuddly and romantic and gross with him, alright?” Geoff said, all with a fond smile.

“Thanks, Geoff,” Gavin said quietly, lying back on the ground while Geoff left the room. Gavin closed his eyes and just let the alcohol soak in, not really noticing the footsteps gently making their way into his room until they were right beside him.

“Did you want some help with those plans, Geoff?” Gavin asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

“I wanted to talk about yesterday,” a voice that was most definitely not Geoff’s said quietly, jolting Gavin out of his intoxicated state and forcing him to open his eyes, looking up into a pair of warm brown eyes and a pale face set in an expression of vulnerability and nervousness.

“Mi- _Mi_ chael?!” Gavin squeaked, sitting up and scurrying back to get some distance between him and Michael.

“Yeah. Can you…sit somewhere? Not on the ground?” Michael asked and Gavin instantly hopped to his feet, sitting himself on the edge of his bed, realising what it could be misconstrued as, sitting on a bed when he wears as little clothes as he does, instead moving himself from the bed to the chair on the other side of the room. He motioned for Michael to take a seat and the auburn haired man gently lowered himself onto the bed, facing Gavin. The sandy-haired man could still see the faint tinge of pink on Michael’s skin and almost asked if he’d like for Gavin to apply some more balm but instantly decided against it, worried about what Michael wanted them to talk about.

“I…I wanted to ask about the other day. When you uh…When you….kissed my hair,” Michael asked, not looking Gavin in the eye.

“U-Um. Okay. Wh-what about it?” Gavin asked, trying and failing to play it off as something he would do normally. Michael worried his bottom lip, trying to come up with how to phrase it while Gavin just internally panicked. Did Michael hate him? Did he want to…did he want to _leave Gavin_ because he didn’t feel the same way and having Gavin fawn over him was making him uncomfortable enough to leave? Just as Gavin opened his mouth to beg Michael to please stay at the palace, the auburn haired man cut him off.

“I don’t want to be conquest,” Michael murmured in a quiet voice completely unlike him.

“…Sorry, what?” Gavin asked, legitimately confused.

“I…I don’t want to be notch in your bedpost, if that’s what you’re looking for. I won’t. I-if you want…something with me, it has to be real. And for more than one night,” Michael finished, his voice getting steadier and a little more confidant with each syllable. Gavin’s jaw dropped as he looked his best friend in the eyes, seeing the normally warm brown irises darken and harden a little but he could still see the anxiety.

Michael was afraid that Gavin just wanted sex. And seemed to want a relationship with Gavin. Because he had feelings for him?

“Michael. I never wanted that from you,” Gavin started and a mixture of sadness and offense crossed Michael’s face for a moment before Gavin realised what he’d said. “Oh! No! Not like that, bollocks,” Gavin corrected himself, standing from his seat and striding over to Michael, taking the shorter man’s hands in his, running his thumbs over the knuckles on both.

“I don’t _want_ you to be a ‘notch in my bedpost’. I…I’ve always fancied you to be honest. I haven’t slept with anyone in the past two years and before that, I just did it because I was…I never thought you’d be interested in me in the slightest and needed something to distract me from the hollow feeling in my chest. Wasn’t the healthiest method of coping but trying to get over being head over heels in love with you is impossible so drinking myself stupid and meaningless sex seemed like the next best thing,” Gavin rambled, Michael’s expression softening as he spoke.

“God you’re dumb,” Michael replied, releasing one of Gavin’s hands to curl it around the back of his neck instead, pulling him down for a light kiss, while Gavin, frozen in shock for only a moment, just thought to himself, that yes, he was indeed dumb.

And that he might need to take Geoff up on planning that wedding after all…


End file.
